Is it possible to go out and avoid photos?

[Aquarius1234]

Is it possible to make new friends, but avoid pictures?

Im in that late 30 to 40s bracket where its still possible to not do the selfie thing when going anywhere with a friend/ family or group activity/ night out/ theatre/ country walk. Whatever else.

Ive realised I really need to make new friends before I get too old..
Can't be too picky so it will likely be people in their 20/ 30s/ 40s.
I can't quite join the over 50 s groups yet lol

Anyway. I dont like being in photos due to a medical reason and never used to when younger. But I didnt have the medical issue. So put up with it..plus I was younger and fitter.

What am I supposed to say?
I have managed this most of the time with family. Or when going out with one person.
But new groups or activities is a whole other story.

Photos don't capture me accurately and it makes me feel dysphoric to see a photo of myself

I think this is fine to say

I just say I don’t want to be in the photo.

Neither have I. And apart from weddings and a couple of big birthday parties, Ive never been out with friends, older or younger, who wanted to take photos.

Do people really do this? I think the last group pic was with my mum friends when our kids left school which was four years ago. I was in a group photo recently but that was a family reunion.

I voted YABU for the comment about over 50s - you seem to be assuming people younger than you will be willing to socialise with you as someone older, while being unwilling to do it yourself!

I sympathise with the photo situation. I'd probably approach it by saying "please give me a minute to get out of any photos" rather than saying "please don't take any photos with me in", as that way you're showing you're willing to do the work to stay out of photos, all you want is a moment's warning.

They do capture you accurately. It’s a photo. It’s not made up. However, it’s true to say that people don’t see you static so it’s probably not how they see you.

There’s photos and photos though. My sport clubs always ask if people mind but even if you’re ok with it the images are often of the whole “event” and we are just tiny blobs far away. You can just about tell men vs women and hair colour but thats all. If I didn’t know what colour my jacket was I wouldn’t be able to pick me out. One person would pull her neck warmer up over her face in group pics so really not identifiable at all.

I don’t like being in photos, but I’m struggling a little bit to understand that you would rather miss out on friendships and social events rather than be in a photo.

Surely other people see you anyway, with their eyes (not meaning to be facetious, just can’t think of another way to put it) so they know what you look like and wouldn’t be surprised by a photo of you, and if you don’t like how you look in a photo it should be easy enough for you not to look at them.

Otherwise, surely things like CCTV or video doorbells must also be an issue for you?

I see what you mean. Its definitely a hard choice.

With photos other people are taking, its a control thing. I hate the thought that I could be at the front and more zoomed in compared to someone else. Just by where I happened to sit or stand.

Yeh I don't like cctv or the cameras on self checkouts that I use all the time.
I just now don't look.
I look I suppose the best in a standard mirror.